Submersible mixers and means for supporting them in tanks or reservoirs of liquid are known in the prior art. Exemplary thereof is the arrangement disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,687,175, issued on Aug. 18, 1987, to Balint Szendroi, et al, for an Attaching Device. The latter disclosed a mast system which is emplaced in the tank or reservoir, and to which the mixer is attached. The mixer can be articulated, relative to the mast system, and caused to translate therealong as well. The same is very versatile, and equal to substantially any fluid agitating requirement. There are fluid mixing needs, however, which do not warrant the expense and sophistication of such mixer/mast systems. Adequate for such needs would be a submersible mixer which can be supported in a framework and lowered into the tank or reservoir by means of a tethering cable.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,856,272, issued to Richard B. Ravitts, on Dec. 24, 1974, sets forth a floating mixer. The same does not accommodate for the submersion of the mixer wholly within the tank- or reservoir-confined liquid. U.S. Pat. No. 4,410,279, issued on Oct. 18, 1983 to Michael Howden, et al, for an Apparatus for Agitating the Contents of Storage Tanks; U.S. Pat. No. 4,456,424, for an Underwater Sand Pump, issued to Toshinobu Araoka, on Jun. 26, 1984; and the U.S. Pat. No. 4,746,221, issued on May 24, 1988, to Katsuji Okumura, for a Stirrer for Use in Liquid Storage Tanks, all set forth submersible agitators for liquids which are tetherable. However, the agitator or mixer housings and allied structures thereof are quite complex, and likely to be as expensive as the aforesaid mixer/mast system, if not more expensive.
To meet the need for a simple, inexpensive and versatile tetherable frame for a submersible mixer, and the combination of such a frame with a mixer replaceably mounted thereto, D. Lisi and R. Deilus filed their U.S. patent application, Ser. No. 07/827,174, on Jan. 28, 1992, for a Tetherable Frame for, and in Combination with, a Submersible Mixer. In the instant application is disclosed a tetherable framework for a submersible mixer, and in combination with such a mixer, as versatile as the invention set out in the aforesaid application, and of even simpler structure, and having further, novel features.
It is an object of this invention, then, to set forth a tetherable framework for a submersible mixer comprising a generally planar platform; a pair of bands (a) fixed to, and upstanding from said platform, and (b) in traversing engagement with each other above said platform; and tether-attaching means coupled to said bands and fastening said bands together in the aforesaid traversing engagement thereof.
Further is it an object of this invention to set forth, in combination, a submersible mixer, and a tetherable framework therefor, comprising a generally planar platform; a pair of bands (a) fixed to said platform, and upstanding therefrom, and (b) in traversing engagement with each other above said platform; tether-attaching means coupled to said bands, and fastening said bands together in the aforesaid traversing engagement thereof; and a submersible mixer coupled to said platform and to at least one of said bands.